Beyond that Potion

Phiya

Sometimes I really didn’t like being me, Phiya. I was just a Kacheek. Kacheeks, as you probably know, are the most boring and plain pets one could ever imagine. We don’t have wings like the Shoyrus, fins like the Flotsams or special talents like the Lutari. We aren’t even limited edition or restricted. We are... normal.

      And, it was even worse to be a normal old Kacheek when my own sister was one of the most formidable, desired species that any owner could want.

      Zyna was a radiantly beautiful Draik.

      She was never rude about, never boastful about it. But she’d give a sweet smile and her eyes would shine bright whenever someone complimented her. And she gave off a proud aura that would fill the room. Zyna was the most sought after of all the pets and she knew it too.

      I remembered the day that Tia had gotten a Draik Transmogrifying Potion from Sloth, when she was just a timid newbie. Unaware of its real worth, she gave it to Zyna and then painted her with one of her starter paintbrushes as a special Christmas present. Me? I just got a tattered book.

      I suppose I liked her better when she was a plain old blue Kacheek, just like how I was. She was fun, sweet and the best sister anyone could ever have. But after she got the Draik Transmogrifying Potion, she stuck to her room, counting her neopoints over and over again. I guess she thought she was just too good for me.

      It didn’t hurt that I wouldn’t speak to her, either.

      The doorbell rang just then. I decided to go let Tia, my owner go get it. But, curiosity overcame me and I looked out the window that showed a clear view of the front of the house. It was just the mailpet, delivering a huge stack of crisp neomails for Tia.

      I sneered down at him and then turned away. I began to fantasize that one of those neomails was for me... that a rich owner with tons of morphing potions wanted to adopt me, that Tia had won a brand new Draik Transmogrifying Potion and wanted to paint me with one of those starter paintbrushes, that Tia had won the lottery... oh, the possibilities were endless.

      But I knew, deep down, that those fantasies would never come true.

   Zyna

      I counted my neopoints for the twentieth time that day. I frowned- it was still just a hundred thousand neopoints. Oh, why couldn’t my neopoints simply multiply into the eight hundred thousand neopoints needed to buy a Blue Kacheek Morphing Potion?

      I then looked briefly at the open copy of the Neopian Times lying on my desk. I smiled a little at it- it had brought me very good news. My stocks had gone up a considerable bit. Most Neopians thought it weird that a young Draik like me was interested in the stock market- well, I was. Anything to bring me closer to my goal of getting that morphing potion was welcomed greatly.

      Sighing a bit, I went back to counting my neopoints. With every clink and jangle of my neopoints, my heart soared a bit, for that meant that I was another step closer to being friends with Phiya again.

      Phiya.... I shoved that thought away from my mind. I didn’t want to start blubbering like Boochi. I turned my mind back to making neopoints.

     I briefly wondered about making another lemonade stand. The one I held last week had made thirty thousand neopoints in profit. But, most of those neopoints had been made because I was a red Draik and I looked very impressive to most Neopians.

      Well, it was encouraging to think that being a Draik had at least one positive side.

      I then pushed away my stacks of neopoints sadly. Being a Draik had one positive factor and over two dozen negative ones. I counted them on my scaly fingers. We got hordes of people asking for transfers, people gawked and stared whenever I walked through Neopia Central, the neopets at Neoschool thought I was too formidable and stuck-up to talk to and, worst of all, Phiya stopped talking to me.

      Thinking of Phiya made my eyes burn a bit. Before Tia gave me that potion, we were best friends and nothing could ever separate us. But, something did- the potion. And even if I did get enough neopoints for the Kacheek Morphing Potion, would she still be my friend?

      Or would she hate me even more?

      Phiya

      I decided to read the new book that Tia had got me. Anything to stop from thinking about Zyna.

      I dug through my Neoschool backpack, looking for the book. What was it called again? It was something about legends, I remembered that much. Faerie Legends? No, it was something else... Shoyru Legends? Yeah, that was probably it...

      I scowled. Staring at me was Draik Legends. I threw it back in my backpack just as I heard a knock at the door.

      Thinking it would be Tia, asking me what I would want for dinner, I called, “Come in!”

      Creaking a bit, the door opened. Zyna stood in my doorway, hesitant. She said softly, “Er, can I come in, Phiya?”

      My eyes narrowed and my voice was unfriendly and cold as I said, “Yes. You may come in.”

      Flinching at the coldness in my voice, Zyna asked, “Um, well, do you want to go grab a smoothie or two? Um, my treat.”

      It was obviously a ploy to make her seem even more majestic in public, in comparison to plain old me. I was so not going to let her get more attention and compliments than she already does.

      I stiffly said, “No, thank you.” I watched closely to see what her reaction would be. Would she force me to go with her?

      Zyna fell silent at my words. She said, “Oh. I just thought...” Her voice trailed off and she resumed, “Never mind.” With that, she raced out of my room, slamming my door shut. I stared at the closed door in wonder.

      Tia then called out, in her peppy voice, “Girls, come down for dinner!” I walked downstairs, feeling doubly sad as I was before.

      Zyna

      I don’t know why I asked Phiya to come with me to buy a smoothie. I just hoped that she and I would be best of friends again- I was wrong. The look of contempt, the coldness of her voice... I knew that she would never be my friend again. All because I was a Draik.

      I felt a tear escape my eye. I brushed it away angrily. I would just have to work harder at my neopoint scheme, that’s all. I wouldn’t have a day of rest, nor would I buy anything until I got my morphing potion.

      Then, Tia called us down for dinner. I gloomily flew downstairs, wondering if Tia would let me sell my old toys and clothes.

      I sat down at the table, my eyes on Phiya. Her cold eyes stared back at me. I quickly looked away.

      Tia’s grin was bigger than I had ever seen it, “Phiya, Zyna! I have unbelievable news! I just got a morphing potion!”

      My heart soared. A morphing potion! Now, I could be a normal pet once more and gain back Phiya’s friendship! I would be regular and plain and wouldn’t have to be a Draik!

      But Phiya’s loud voice interrupted my fantasies, “Tia, I want the potion!”

      Phiya

      Finally, a morphing potion! Now I could finally be equal to my sister.

      I repeated, even more loudly, “I want the potion. Tia, you’ll give it to me, won’t you?”

      Zyna gasped, “No! I need the potion! Tia, you have to give it to me!”

      What? Zyna wanted the potion? My temper flared. “No! It’s mine! You’re already a Draik and you don’t deserve it!”

      Tia said reproachfully, “Now, Phiya, you shouldn’t say that to your-”

      “My what? My stuck-up Draik sister who won’t let me share the glory with her?” I argued.

      Zyna trembled a bit. “Phiya, I need the potion to-”

      I interrupted, “To what? To look better than you already do? And,” I said once more, “You don’t deserve the potion! You just stay locked up in your room, counting your neopoints!”

      Zyna shot back, “You never talk to me! And I was saving up for a Blue Kacheek Morphing Potion!”

      I stood up and yelled, “You don’t deserve it! I need it, Tia!”

     Zyna

      I couldn’t believe that Phiya wanted the potion. She was already a Kacheek- the best species imaginable... to me.

      I was about to yell again when Phiya froze. “Wait. You were saving up for Blue Kacheek Morphing Potion? But, I thought you liked being a Draik.”

      I let out a humourless chuckle, “Yeah, right. I just want to be your sister again. But, you never speak to me and I thought that if I were a Kacheek...”

      Phiya finished for me, “You thought I’d be your sister again.”

      Suddenly very shy, I said, “I suppose I haven’t been that good of a sister for you. I’m sorry, Phiya.”

      Phiya shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. In fact, since you want the potion so bad, you can have it.”

      Tia cleared her throat and said, “Well, actually-”

      I cut her off, “No, Phiya, you should have it.”

      Phiya stubbornly said, “No, I don’t deserve it. I’ve been jealous and-”

      Tia said hesitantly, “Guys? I-”

      In unison, Phiya and I said, “Shush, Tia!” I turned to my sister, “Phiya, honestly, you should-”

      Tia banged her fist on the table, “Hey, guys, no one is going to get the potion. It was an Orange Koi one and I just sold it. We’re going to Mystery Island for vacation instead!”

      I grinned then, but it wasn’t because we were going on vacation. It was because I finally had my sister back.

The End

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